


Pepper Potts, Overlord of Earth

by katling



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Comments moderated for my peace of mind, Gen, Not SWORD Friendly, Not Wanda Friendly, Not WandaVision Friendly, Pepper Potts is a goddess, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Team Tony, and she's also sad, even if you're sad, mental manipulation is bad, she's just better at it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 10:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: Pepper's theory is that if Wanda can get away with mind controlling a town and causing them untold amount of mental anguish in order to live out her fantasy all because she'ssad, why shouldn't she (who is also sad) be allowed to take over the world in order to live our her and Tony's fantasy? The escalation is totally warranted and because she's Pepper Potts, it is carried out to perfection. SWORD will just have to live with it.
Relationships: past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark - Relationship
Comments: 68
Kudos: 719





	Pepper Potts, Overlord of Earth

**Author's Note:**

> As you may imagine, the plot and outcome of WandaVision makes absolutely no sense to me. Mind control is inexcusable, no matter what, even if you're sad.

Pepper Potts did not have a throne room. The whole idea was gauche and crass, no matter what some of her advisors thought and suggested. Besides, she didn’t need a throne room. She, technically, did not govern anything other than Stark Industries. Therefore, all she needed was an office. It was a very nice office too. Spacious, well-lit, possessed of all the best technology SI could offer and overseen by an AI who was Pepper’s staunchest companion, advisor and hench-AI. It had comfortable chairs for allies to sit in and an imposing desk for Pepper to glare at all others over.

The representative from SWORD – a man who’d introduced himself as Jimmy Woo – had been offered one of the comfortable chairs, even though Pepper wasn’t sure if he could be considered an ally. However, he wasn’t an enemy – yet – so she was willing to be polite. She’d arranged for coffee and various pastries to be brought up and while that was being arranged in front of her visitor, FRIDAY whispered in her ear through her hidden earpiece about various matters she needed to know about – from Morgan’s latest foray into (age-appropriate) science down in the mini-laboratory the adoring scientists in R&D had set up for her to the latest petitions that were on her desk to Peter and Harley’s thumbs up and grins in relation to her current meeting.

Once everything was set up, FRIDAY’s voice faded from her ear and she sipped from her own cup of coffee before looking at the man expectantly.

“How may I help you, Agent Woo? You’re request for an appointment seemed somewhat urgent.”

Jimmy Woo shifted awkwardly in his seat and Pepper smothered a smile. She was using her best ‘I am more powerful than you and we both know it’ act today and it was having its desired effect.

“Ah, yes, Ms Potts…”

“Mrs Stark,” Pepper said firmly but serenely. 

Woo looked confused and she had to smother another smile at that. She used both surnames interchangeably, which one she used depending on who she was speaking to and what they were speaking about. The choice of Stark for today was very deliberate since she knew exactly why Jimmy Woo was here.

“Mrs Stark,” Woo said hastily. “I’m here on behalf of SWORD and we have some, uh, questions regarding…”

He broke off and Pepper smiled sweetly. “That was the UN’s decision, Agent Woo. I had very little to do with it.”

“But, um… Overlord?”

“Overlady was too cumbersome,” Pepper replied, still absolutely calm. “The standard nomenclature is Overlord of Earth and I saw no reason to change that just because of gender issues.”

“Ah, yes,” Woo said. “That wasn’t quite what I meant.”

Pepper smiled and decided to take pity on the man. “You want to know why I decided to take over the world.”

“Er, yes,” Woo said.

Pepper raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s easily answered, Agent Woo. It was because of you. Or rather because of SWORD.”

Jimmy Woo spluttered. “What?” he finally managed.

“I was anonymously sent a copy of the SWORD report into the… Wanda incident,” she said delicately as FRIDAY laughed softly in her ear. The AI had, of course, been that anonymous source. “If I may sum it up, it seemed that Wanda Maximoff was allowed to walk away without consequences after mind raping an entire town, causing them untold amounts of trauma and mental agony, in order to live out her fantasy of a happy family, all because she was _sad_ about the death of the person she had been dating for less than two years. A person she’d had no trouble abusing in the past by hurling him through several layers of concrete and rebar.” She smiled at him. “Is that an accurate summary?”

“Er, yes, I suppose...” Jimmy said tentatively, starting to see the shape of the trap he was in.

“So, I thought,” Pepper continued sweetly. “I am terribly sad too. I have lost my husband. The man I married and had a child with. The man who I have been in love with for over a decade. Like, Miss Maximoff, I too wished to sublimate my grief into living out the impossible fantasy that Tony and I once had – a world where people do not starve, do not want for water, for housing, for money, for work. A world where medical bills and tertiary education do not put people into grotesque amounts of debt. A world where the colour of your skin, who you love, your chosen gender and gender presentation do not bring anger, violence, shame or disdain down upon you.”

She gestured towards the window. “Have I not done that, Agent Woo?”

“Um,” Woo said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Yes?”

“Have I harmed anyone whilst doing this?”

“Er, no.”

“Then…” Pepper smiled oh-so-sweetly now and inwardly laughed at the way Jimmy Woo paled. “I do not see how SWORD could have an issue with all I have done, especially when they allowed Miss Maximoff to walk free after she caused irreparable harm to the people of Westview. People whom Stark Industries has assisted with the new and improved Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing technology. People whom Miss Maximoff and SWORD discarded. We were even able to free Miss Agatha Harkness from Miss Maximoff’s mental control.” She made a disapproving tsking noise. “I am surprised SWORD were willing to leave her, leave _any_ of them, like that. Mental rape has been defined by the UN and the ICC as one of the most heinous crimes in the world.” 

She paused and then said idly, “Miss Harkness is still recovering from her ordeal, but I understand she wishes to press charges against Miss Maximoff. And SWORD, I believe.”

Jimmy Woo seemed to know when he was beaten. “Uh, yes, I… I see your point, Mrs Stark. Well, uh, thank you for your time and the… er, information.”

“Not at all,” Pepper said, rising to her feet and shaking his hand. “SWORD looks like an excellent organisation, albeit one perhaps in need of better oversight and guidance.”

She almost laughed when Jimmy Woo looked about ready to faint. He quickly stumbled through a few more pleasantries and scurried from the room. Pepper watched him go and when the door had closed, she cocked her head slightly.

“FRIDAY?”

“Yes, boss lady?”

“Let’s bump SWORD up the list, shall we?”

Amusement rippled through FRIDAY’s voice as she replied. “You got it, boss lady.”

“Now, do I have any more appointments this morning?”

“No, boss lady. Your schedule is clear until 2pm, when you have a video conference with the Accords Council.”

“Excellent,” Pepper said. “I’m going to go down to R&D and see what schemes my daughter has come up with now.”

“I’ll absolutely not warn them that you’re coming,” FRIDAY replied cheekily.

Pepper laughed and reflected that taking over the world had really been the best thing she’d ever done. The paperwork was horrendous, of course, but she’d hired some more assistants to help with that. Her approval ratings stood at a record 93% as of the last survey and she knew Tony would be very proud of her. He’d always said that she’d make the best Overlord Earth had ever seen and she’d proven him right yet again.


End file.
